Working with Mexico & EPA Ruling

Working with Mexico & EPA Ruling plus Food Forethought. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

During their discussions in Mexico City Friday, President Obama and Mexico’s President Calderon announced plans to strengthen and deepen bilateral cooperation by establishing the US-Mexico Bilateral Framework on Clean Energy and Climate Change. The Bilateral Framework establishes a mechanism for political and technical cooperation and information exchange, and to facilitate common efforts to develop clean energy economies. It will also complement and reinforce existing work between the two countries.

The Environmental Protection Agency issued a proposed finding that greenhouse gases contribute to air pollution that may endanger public health or welfare. The proposed finding - which now moves to a public comment period -opens the door for EPA to mandate a reduction in carbon emissions under the Clean Air Act. Bob Young, Farm Bureau’s Chief Economist has been studying both the positive and negative impacts that climate change legislation might have on farmers and ranchers.

YOUNG: The bottom line is it’s very easy at this stage of the game for us to think about this as a “cost agriculture.”  It’s very hard for us to right now I think to figure out what the offsets – what the revenues might be coming from this.

Now with today’s Food Forethought, here’s Lacy Gray.

While “Farm Sanctuary” sounds like the perfect place to go unwind and reconnect with nature its in actuality the name of yet another animal rights group hiding their true agenda behind supposed concern for the welfare of farm animals. Truth be told, most members of Farm Sanctuary wouldn’t be able to tell you the difference between a heifer and a steer, and in reality, they could care less about farm animals and their treatment. The true intent of their organization is to systematically abolish any and all livestock agriculture. Don’t laugh, as preposterous as it may sound, these activists have already celebrated several victories in their pursuit to maim livestock farmers and ranchers. By winning seemingly harmless victories on the state level, such as successfully lobbying for a ban on common veal farming techniques in a state that isn’t even home to one veal farm, they’re putting into place a launch pad to make winning on the federal level that much easier. American farmers and ranchers need to implement their own campaign based on truth to educate the consumer before a well meaning, but unknowing public votes them right out of business.

Thanks Lacy. That’s today’s Northwest Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.